The grinning demon had planted seeds of corruption everywhere, and now it was reaping its harvest, tearing apart the purified spot from within.
It was indeed a cunning plan that far outstripped the depths of their preparations.
Although the corrupted students were few in number, the grinning demon had ways to boost their power significantly.
Even with the numbers advantage, the uncorrupted students were hard-pressed to take them down in a short time.
In a crowded alley, Li Luo’s squad and Yi Lisha’s squad were facing off against a corrupted Ye Qiuding.
Even in a six-on-one, Ye Qiuding still had the advantage.
His Evolving Resonance Tier strength plus the corruption boost had the two squads on the ropes. He just wouldn’t stay down, wouldn’t die. It was the two squads that were suffering a smattering of injuries here and there.
Tang!
Li Luo’s swords hummed through the air, Water Edge refined to its sharpest as they cut towards Ye Qiuding, currently wrestling Yi Lisha.
He channeled water upwards and wood downwards, laying down roots that burst upwards at Ye Qiuding’s feet and trussed him up.
The roots withered almost as soon as they touched Ye Qiuding, succ.u.mbing to the corruption.
A moment of constriction was enough to at least push Ye Qiuding slightly off balance.
Both Li Luo and Yi Lisha were elites in their year. They both seized the momentary gap, pincering Ye Qiuding between sword and fist.
Cras.h.!.+
Flesh and metal crunched into him from both directions.
To no avail. A muttered word from Ye Qiuding sent a wave of corrupted power that repulsed them and shook the air with its raw strength.
The pair were thrown away. Li Luo recovered rather quickly since he was stronger, but Yi Lisha could not break the impact before he was slammed into a stone wall. The air was punched out of his lungs, and he coughed up blood on his lips.
They had attacked together, and now had been forced back and taken down.
This was the sheer disparity in their power.
The two squads were leaping to their leaders’ rescue now, their faces grim as they watched Ye Qiuding warily, black smoke rising in lazy wisps from his body.
“Li Luo, something’s not right. The b.u.g.g.e.r’s getting stronger and stronger!” Yi Lisha said angrily, wiping the blood away from his mouth as he scrambled to his feet.
Li Luo nodded somberly. He felt it too. At first they could squash him with their numbers, but now he could feel their advantage diminis.h.i.+ng.
They weren’t getting any weaker. Ye Qiuding was somehow getting stronger.
If this kept up, they could forget about taking him down. h.e.l.l, they would be lucky to escape alive.
Time to call more backup?
But everyone was occupied as well. Backup might not be available.
Although they had contained one of the big dangers here, Li Luo was keeping an eye on the other fights as well, and they had not concluded. Clearly, the same corrupted strength was boosting them everywhere.
“Is this the grinning demon’s doing?”
Li Luo didn’t know how long they would continue to keep growing stronger. But if it kept up for too much longer, they would soon be screwed.
And once the central tower fell, their barrier would fall too.
Heavenly Disaster Cla.s.s. Yikes.
“We have to buy time until reinforcements can join us. Hold him, somehow,” Li Luo said calmly.
The situation elsewhere was hovering on a knife’s edge as well. If they let Ye Qiuding run free, he would definitely head for the central tower immediately, and he would likely proceed to set off a whole series of unfortunate events.
The others responded with sharp, terse nods, keeping their chins down as they gathered their resonant powers and then charged him in a formation.
While fights were breaking out all over the purified spot, Jiang Qing’e remained in her spot on the high wall, surveying the entire battle.
She noticed that the corrupted students were getting stronger and stronger.
She turned to the grinning demon outside the purified spot, sitting cross-legged in the midst of his mud platforms.
She brought a hand up to her face, drawing a glowing finger across her brow. “Illuminating Eye!”
A thin, golden line appeared across her eyes, and suddenly her vision cleared. She could even see through the black mist, spotting the ranks of Others that stretched out on and on.
She focused on the grinning demon.
Thin lines of black light appeared in her enhanced vision, linking its body to the mud figurines.
“It’s greatly weakened. It’s siphoning off its own energy into the corrupted, using the figurines as mediums. That’s why they’re growing stronger…”
The grinning demon was essentially transferring its power into the purified spot.
The line of gold faded from her eyes, and she adjusted her grip on her heavy sword.
She continued to wait calmly, although now she started to gather her energy.
Behind her, the skirmishes raged on, piteous screams punctuating the hubbub of shouts and clashes of weapons.
As the corrupted students grew stronger, the fights turned more and more b.l.o.o.d.y.
Jiang Qing’e paid it no heed. She continued to stand on the high wall, watching, turning a deaf ear to all cries for reinforcements.
She was waiting for her chance.
The grinning demon was weakening itself to power the corrupted students. It brought chaos at a price, a price that Jiang Qing’e was about to collect.
A chance at its head.
Black vapor rose from the corrupted students, faster than the purification tower could clear. Soon, even the dreaded whispering could be heard within the barrier, further weakening the defenders’ resolve.
The noises of battle in the purified spot rose again as the corrupted students grew yet another level stronger!
They were closing in on the central tower now.
It was time. Jiang Qing’e moved.
Like a vengeful angel, she burned with the light of a thousand suns.
Within the nimbus of brilliance, a heavy sword wielded by a slim figure.
She tore through the purification barrier and was on the grinning demon in a flash. She brought her sword down in a fury of metal and light without hesitation.
The execution had begun.